Method of making yarn guide tubes



NOV 24, 1942- A. L. wElsBEcKER METHODOF MAKING' YARN GUIDE TUBES Filed Feb. 27. 1940 Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATE-s PATENT .Y vOFFICE METHOD oF MAKZIRN GUIDE 'runes l Application February 27, 1940, Serial No. 321,130

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making yarn guide tubes, and more particularly to methods of making yarn guide tubes for use on straight knitting machines.

The invention will be described with regard to l.

,These patents also vshow yarn guide tubes which are at least in part of flexible -construction to avoid damage to parts of the knitting'machine should the guide tubes accidently strike misplaced sinkers or other obstructions during knitting operations. The present invention has application to this type of yarn guide tube shown in the noted Weisbecker patents. 25

As illustrated in the earlier two of -the'three above-noted Weisbecker patents, the yarn 1 in passing from the yarn guide tube is fed at a substantial angle relative to the axis of the tube.

The yarn, therefore, tends to exert a cutting action onthe yarn guide tube tip as the former passes over the tip edge.l This cutting action is quite pronounced where the yarn is formed of natural silk, and is much more pronounced where the'yarn is made of the arti'cial material which has been lately developed and proposed for use in the making of knitted hosiery.

Prior to the filing of this application, it 'has been proposed to provide yarn guide tubes with tips of special materials which are wear resist-1 ant. Such proposal is to form the yarn guide tips from tubular stock which has been produced in .a drawing operation. That practice has limited the choice of materials which maybe used in formingV the yarn guide tips, as it is difficult, impractical, or'impossible to draw a number of highly desirable wear resisting materials into tubular form. This invention overcomes the ydescribed limitations in the art and teaches a method whereby an unlimited number of materials may be used for yarn guide tips. At the same time, the invention secures a yarn guide of highly desired characteristics.

to provide a novel method for making an improved yarn guide tube.

It is a further object of this invention to provide yarn vguide tubes with novel tips formed oi materials which are highly wear resistant to the cutting action of yarn or thread whether natural silk, artificial yarn or other material.

A still further object is to provide a yarn guide tube especially adapted to the needs of the newer artici'al yarns for full fashioned hosiery.

It is a vfurther object of this invention to provide a novel yarn guide tube which is characterized both by its flexibility and by the highly wear resistant properties of its yarn feeding tip.

Still another object is to provide a novel method for providing yarn guide tubes with wear resisting tips.

Other. objects and advantages of this invention will be obvious from thel following description, the appended claims, and the attached drawing which illustrate, preferred embodiments of this invention. v l

. Referring to the drawing,

Figure I, is -a perspective view of a straight knitting machine yarn carrier having a yarn guide tube formed inac'cordance with this inven- Figure -II is anV elevationalv View on enlarged scalevof the lower end of the yarn carrier of Figure I..y y

Figure. III is a sectional View of the members which are formed into a yarn guide tube as shown in Figures I and II.

Figure 1V is an exploded view of the parts from which a yarnguide tube is formed in accordance with this invention. l

Figures V-VIII inclusive are longitudinaL'cross sectional views and illustrate the successive steps in the forming of ayarn guide tube in accordance with a vpreferred embodiment of this invention.

Figure IX is a diagrammatic View to illustrate another embodiment of the present method for .forming yarn guide tubes.

Coming now to a description of the accompanying drawing and an explanation of the present invention, the yarn carrier in Figure I comprises a yarn guide tube supporting arm, or yarn carrier arm, I0 and a yarn guide tube II. The yarn guide tube II may be removably supported in the lower end of the supporting arm I0, as more clearly shown in Figure II. The supporting means for the yarn guide tube II may comprise two branches I2 and I3 which are preferably weldedat lines I4 to the upper portion of It is, therefore, an object of this invention 55 vsupporting arm-I0 in any suitable manner. The

branches I2 and I3 are provided with jaws I5 and I6 which provide a socket for and grip the side walls of the yarn guide tube Il. Shoulder I1 provides an abutting surface for the inner end of the yarn guide tube I I and constitutes the bottom of the socket for the same. The jaw I is relatively rigidly supported by its branch I2. The jaw I6, however, is resiliently supported by the arm I3 of the branch I3. The arm I8 may be formed by providing a slot I9 in the branch I3 which is preferably of such material as `to provide the desired resiliency in the arm I8. The resilient arm I8 extends 'from the jaw `I6 `in a direction outwardly thereof vand `toward the lower end of the yarn carrier. The "arm I8 will, therefore, so support jaw I6 that it resists axial movement of the tube II, in the direction to withdraw the same from its socket, with substantially greater force than it -does axial movement of the tube II in the direction to insert the same into its socket.

The yarn guide tube H 4of this invention may be formed from a tubular member 25 "and two disk-like blanks or elements 26 vand 21. The tubular member 25 is preferably of flexible construction, and may comprise, for example, a resilient, helical coil spring formed `of both metallic ribbon (fiat wire) and wire of round cross section as described in `above-noted Weisbecker Patent No. 2,101,801 and illustrated in Figure V of the same patent. The thickness of the metallic ribbon is `preferably V'the-same as the diameter of the round Wire so as to rprovide the tubular member 25 with substantially the same wall thickness throughout its length.

The disk-like elements 26 and 21 'are preferably formed of a metallic material, which :may be heat treated, and which is highlywear resistant and ksubstantially more 'wear resistant than the tubular member 25to the Acutting action of thread or yarn, whether of natural silk, articial yarn or other material. Suitable materials for the disk-like elements 26 and 21 are tungsten and heat treatable alloys of Aa character which permits them to be cut and smoothed in a machine operation. The disk-like elements 26 `and 21 may be formed of plain Vcarbon steels having a carbon content of about .05 4per cent to about 1.05 per cent carbon. Other suitable Ymaterials are chromium steel alloys having a .chromium content ranging for example from about 6 per cent to about 13 per cent and a carbon content ranging for example from about 1.25 per cent to about 2.50 per cent.

Experience shows that it is diflicult, impractical, .or impossible to draw anumberof desirable materials into tubular form,part'cularly of the size required'for yarn guide tubes. Tungsten is an example of such materials. Metals on the order of tungsten, Vif they are subjected to die drawing, have such characteristics that they soon wear out the dies Vin the drawing operation. It is also considered impractical to draw chromium steel alloys having a carbon content of about 1.25per cent'to about 2.30'per cent vinto tubular form as they Vtend to become hard under the slightest amount of `work or deformation of the metal.

The disk-like elements 26 and 21 may be cut from imperforate stockhaving the desired thicking, it is preferable to provide its smaller dising the disk-like member 42.1.

charge end 29 with a thicker tip member than its receiving end, as the yarn tends to cause greater wear on the yarn tube discharge tip.

The disk-like elements 26 and 21l may each have a thickness within a range of about 0.005 inch to about 0.080 inch. The elements 26 and 21 also preferably have a width and length, or diameter, greater than the external diameter of .the corresponding end of the tubular member 25. In a yarn guide construction as shown in Figure VIII, the external diameter of the smaller end of the tubular member 25 and the corresponding end of the finishedl tube I I may range from about 0.030 inch to about 0.10 inch depending on the ,gauge of the knitting machine and the yarn to `befed. The external diameter of the larger end of the tubular member 25 and the corresponding end of the finished tube I I may range from about 0.062inch to about 0.066 inch depending on the gauge of the knitting machine.

If it is desirable to provide a reversible Yyarn guide tube, so that it may be inverted in the yarn carrier and present either end as a yarn discharge tip, it would be preferable to have both disk-like members 26 and 21 of the same thickness. For a reversible yarn guide tube, it would also bedesirable to eliminate the taper in the tubular member 25 and provide the latter jin -the form of a cylinder having uniform internal =and'externa1 diameters throughout.

The disk-like members 26 and 21 are preferably integrally united or fused to the -endsof Y'the tubular member '215, as by welding. A preferred method and `apparatus for this welding operation is disclosed in my coi-pending application :Serial No. 263,737, dated March 123, 1939,"now Patent No. 2,218,977. After lthewelding operation, :the welded Iassembly will'appear'as illustrated in Figure V -of the drawing. A-suitableinstrument, lsuch 'as ra rotary 'drill 35, `is now -used to perforate the disk-like member 26 vas more 'or less diagrammatically illustrated in Figure VI.

This-drill 35 is preferably of such characterthat it lwill form an opening in alignment with the interior of Ithe tubular member '25 and Iof substantially the same internal diameter as the end 28 thereof. The drill 35 is then removed, vand a smaller `tool or drill 36 is inserted through lthe perforated disk-like element 26 :and the ltubular member 25 for the purpose of ldrilling 'or-perforat- This drill' 36 preferably has `an overall diameter correspondingsubstantially to the internal diameter of Vthe end29 of the tubular kmember 25, sothat `the'irmerside fwall of the end 29 will serve to :guide andgposition'the drill 36 in perforating the'disk-'like member 21. The disk 21 might be perforated by Adrilling from the exterior to the interior surface'there- .of in the same manner as described with respect .to 4disk-like member 26.

erable `and secures greater accuracy -in aligning the opening in the disk-like element 21 with `the interior of the tubular member 25.

Following the cutting or drilling operations, the outer or peripheral edges of .the ydisk-like members 26 or 21 are preferably so .ground or otherwise shaped that they will provide flush vsurfaces with theadjacent portions of the outer wall of the tubular member`25.

When the yarn guide tube has .received the form of Figure VII-I, the tip 21 '(whichhasbeen 'formed from the disk-like element`21 of 'Figures III to VII) may be heat treated in any desirable manner to further improve its wear resisting properties. For example, it may be connected to two electrodes of an electrical circuit andl subjected to electrical resistance heating. 'Ihat is the resistance of the tip 21 to the passage of current between the two electrodes results in the tip 21 being heated. By controlling the current conditions of the electrical circuit, the tip 21 will have its temperature raised to the desired degree. While the tip is still at a high temperature, it is removed from the electrodes and placed in a quenching bath to complete the treatment.

It is preferable that'a portion of the tubular member 25 be tapered, `as at 24, so that the lower or discharge end 29 thereof will have a smaller external diameter than the other end 28. This proportioning or shape secures certain desirable advantages. The yarn receiving end is formed of sufficient internal diameter to facilitate insertion of a yarn end. The upper tube end also provides larger surface area for engagement with the socket jaws I and I6.

The illustrated proportioning and shape for the yarn guide lIl offers further advantages if the guide Il is to be used on knitting machines for so-called ringless knitting operations. It is the usual practice in such operations on straight knitting machines to employ a number of yarn oarlriers in the knitting of a single hosiery blank.

These yarn carriers are so operated that their yarn laying tips travel in closely spaced parallel paths and frequently pass eachother during knitting operations. The possibility of the tips colliding as they pass each other is minimized by the present construction in which the yarn guide tube Il has a tapered portion 24 and a tip 21 (Figures I, II-and VIII) lof relatively small overall diameter.

The tubular member 2'5 is also preferably of substantially cylindrical shape between the portion 24 and the discharge end 29 to steady the drill 36 as it perforates the disk-like element 21.

-In lieu of separately welding a disk-like element to each yarn guide tubular member 25, the method illustrated in Figure IX may be followed. This figure illustrates a method in which a plurality of tubular members 49 are welded to a strip or plate-like element 4I. The strip or plate 4I may .then beV appropriately cut into sections so that each of the `tubular members Ml will be provided with a separate tip forming piece. Yarn guide tubes may then be formed and completed in accordance with the method previously described. The perforations for the individual tips may be provided either before or after the strip or plate 4I is cut or separated into sections. The strip or plate-like member 4l may be formed of the same material as the disk-like members 26 and 21. The tubular members 40 may be formed in the same manner as the above described tubular members 25.

The foregoing is illustrative, and it will be understood that this invention includes all modifications and embodiments coming Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The method of making yarn guide tubes for knitting machines comprising the steps of integrally uniting a blank of wear resisting material to one end of a tubular member, and forming an opening in said blank in alignment with the interior of said member to provide the same with an apertured yarn guide tip.

2. The method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of integrally uniting, by

welding, a blank-to one end of a tubular member inthe' form of a helical coil spring, and cutting an opening in said blank in alignment with the interior of said member to provide the same with an apertured yarn guide tip.

3.-'Ivhe -method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of integrally uniting, by Welding, a disk-like blank to one end edge of a 'tubular member, cutting an opening in said blank in alignment with and of substantially the same size as the opening at the adjacent end of said member, and shaping the peripheral edge of said disk blank'so as to conform in shape with the exterior of the adjacent end of the tubular member.

V 4. The method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of integrally uniting disklike blanks to the opposite ends of a tubular member, and forming openings in said blanks in alignmentwith the interior of said member to provide the ends of same with apertured yarn guide tips.

5. The method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of integrally uniting disklike elements to the opposite ends of a tubular member, forming openings in said elements in alignment with the interior of said member to provide the ends of same with apertured yarn guide tips, and shaping the peripheral edge of each of said elements to make the same conform in shape and size with the exterior of the adjacent portion of said tubular member.

6. The method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of integrally uniting disklike blanks to the opposite ends of a tubular member, forming openings in said blanks in alignment with the interior of said member to provide the ends of same with apertured yarn guide tips, shaping the peripheral edge of each of said blanks to make the same conform in shape and size with the exterior of the adjacent portion of said tubular member, and heat treating at least one of said tips to improve its wear resisting character.

7. 'I'he method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of integrally uniting disklike blanks to the opposite ends of a tubular member, forming an opening in one of said disklike blanks by drilling .from the exterior surface to the interior surface thereof, said opening being formed in alignment with the interior of said member, and forming an opening in the other of said disk-like members by drilling from the interior surface thereof to the exterior surface thereof.

8. The method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of integrally uniting disklike blanks to the opposite ends of the tubular member in the form of a helical coil spring, forming an opening in one of said disk-like blanks by drilling from the exterior surface to the interior surface thereof, said opening being formed in alignment with the interior of said member, forming an opening in the other of said disk-like blanks by drilling from the interior surface thereof to the exterior surface thereof, and removing outer edge portions of said disk-like blanks to make the same conform substantially with the exterior of the adjacent portions of the tubular member.

9. The method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of providing a tubular member with substantially uniform wall thickness throughout and a tapering portion intermediate its ends, whereby the tubular member will have its end portions of different external diameters, integrally uniting disk-like blanks to the opposite ends of said tubular member, forming an opening in the disk-like blank secured to the larger end of said tubular member, passing a tool through said opening and through the hollow interior of said tubular member and cutting an saidtubular members.

ll. A vmethod of making yarn guide tubes as recited in claim 10, wherein said strip or plate,

-after the formation of said openings, is separated into sections to provide each of said tubular-members with a tip portion formed from said strip or plate.

l2. The method of making yarn guide tubes comprising the steps of providing the opposite ends of a tubular member with disk-like elements, vsaid elements being integrally united to said tubular member and being formed with `openings in alignment with the interior of said .member to provide the ends of same `With apertured yarnguide tips, and shaping the peripheral ledge of each of said elements to make the same conform in shape and size with the exterior of the adjacent portions of said tubular member.

13. A method of making yarn guide tubes for knitting machines, which method comprises the steps `of integrally uniting, as by Welding, a disklike 'element'to one end of a-tubular member, and cutting an opening in said element in alignment with the interior of said tubular member to provide the same with an .apertured yarn `guide tip.

14. A method of providing a tip for a yarn guide tube to be used in a knitting machine, said method comprising the steps of integrally uniting a blank of wear resisting material to an end of a tubular member, and forming an aperture in said blank and in alignment with the interior of said tubular member by means of a tool inserted in said tubular member from the opposite end thereof, said tool being of substantially the same size as the bore of said tubular. member adjacent said blank and being guidedbytlre interior Wall of said member in said 'aperture vforming operation.

l5. A method of making yarn guide tubes for knitting machines; which method comprises the steps of integrally uniting, as by welding, a. disclike element to one end of a tubular member,said element being of a metal substantially more resistant to wear than said tubular member, shaping said element to form the same into an apertured tip for the tubular member, and heat treating said tip to improve its Wear resisting properties.

16. rlhe method of making yarn guide tubes for use in straight knitting machines having yarn carrier arms each adapted to support a yarn guide tube and to reciprocate for laying yarn passing through the tube, said method comprising the steps of integrally uniting, as by welding, a disc-like blank of Wear resisting material to one end of a tubular member of resilient construction, forming an opening in said blank in alignment with and .of substantially the same size as the opening in the adjacent end of said tubullar member, and shaping the blank Yso as to conform the blank to the exterior of said 'adjacent end of said tubular member..

AUGUST L. WEISBECKER. 

